I just bought a 2005 Liberty - white paint. I got it home and washed it and the lower panels have tiny orange specs - like rust! I have a carfax report which indicates no flood or other title issues.
Any thoughts?
Try removing these specs from the paint with one of those clay bars. If the specs come out, they may be from rust coming off the brake rotors when the brakes are applied after the vehicle has sat for an extended period of time.
Tester
Tester Is Correct. You Don’t Have A Problem With Your Paint.
Those flecks are on the surface, from outside elements. Brake rotor dust or semi-metallic brake pads can contribute to it. You’ll notice that those flecks are on white plastic body parts as well as metal ones. It’s not coming through from behind or anything.
I too, drive white cars and must remove this stuff every spring. I have successfully polished it off using just wax and my electric waxer and even with “elbow grease”, but the clay bar, following directions carefully, should help.
You’ll notice that those flecks are on white plastic body parts as well as metal ones. It’s not coming through from behind or anything.
Try some wax on a rag and rub a clean spot like crazy. You should see it come right off.
Anybody know if ceramic brake pads would help?
CSA
Thanks. I feel MUCH better knowing it’s from the breaks.
Tester and CSA are both correct. The industry term is rail dust, from rail cars applying brakes but, it is actually as Tester stated, metal particles from the pads.
Factually, Tester Stated That It Was Rust From The Rotors. I Said Rotors And Pads. I Have Always Noticed It Much More In The Spring . . .
. . . Since I live where it snows heavily and frequently and salt is applied to all roads by the megaton, I figured that the salt accelerated the rotor and pad rust or that the salt had trace iron in it.
Once the spots are cleaned off (when the Fall/Winter/Spring “salt season” ends), when Summer season arrives, usually around July 4, the spots stay away until “salt season” returns, again.
Every year orange lines appear running down our highways when the snow ends. These lines are caused by the steel that has worn off snow plow blades during the previous 7 or 8 months. Many theorize that this rust on the highway is what causes orange flecks on the cars, even more than brakes do. I would not be one to argue with that theory. Once the summer rain and traffic removes most of it, my fleck accumulation subsides.
How about this theory? Anybody out there, not living in the “salt belt”, driving a white or light color vehicle, who notices orange flecks on the lower body and rear end of their vehicles? Anybody in a heavy “plow belt” without orange flecks? Anybody with ceramic pads and flecks?
Is it rotors, pads, snow plows or what? Would ceramic pads help any?
CSA
Ah…I stand corrected.